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1923 Map of Castle Dale

Name: 1923 Topographic Map of Castle Dale
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

Agricultural life in central Utah centered on the irrigation of arid lands during the early 1920s, as seen in this survey of the San Rafael Swell area. Small Mormon settlements like Orangeville and Castle Dale are positioned along Cottonwood Creek, where a network of irrigation works including Ditch and Cut Ditch helped sustain local farming. The presence of the Ferron Mill and several family-named outfits, such as Peterson Ranch and Larson Ranch, underscores the self-sufficient ranching economy of the era.

Industrial activity is noted at the base of the high plateaus, with coal resources being tapped at the Killpack Mine and Axel Anderson Mine near Indian Trail Bench. This region is defined by sharp elevation changes, transitioning from the flat expanse of Rock Canyon Flat to the high timber of the Manti National Forest. Traces of early travel routes are evident in the Rochester Road and the Blue Dugway, which provided essential passages through the complex network of mesas like North Horn Mountain.